An SPL side at home to a first division outfit that features many part-time players in the last eight of a major cup competition. On paper, it looks no contest. However, this will be anything but easy. Ayr have already put out Inverness Caley Thistle and Hearts to make it this far, beating both of them at home, while we have a horrible habit of slipping up against lower league outfits. Hopefully last year's League Cup exit at the hands of Ross County, combined with the shocking display against Peterhead in the Scottish Cup, will ensure complacency isn't an issue tomorrow night.
Something else that should be driving the team on is the chance for redemption. What happened in this very competition just over 18 months ago and a number of players who featured that day at Hampden, such as Lee Mair and Steven Thomson, are still at the club. We are one game away from a semi-final and two games from a shot at putting right all those wrongs. What more motivation do the players need?
We managed to go more than four years without playing Ayr United but, bizarrely, this will be our third meeting with them in the last two years (although we do seem to play them every pre-season). While we have been triumphant on the last two occasions, they certainly weren't easy ties. Earlier this year we knocked them out of the Scottish Cup thanks to a Craig Dargo double, but made heavy weather of the second half, while it wasn't until the final minute we put victory in this competition beyond doubt two years ago. We also put them out of the Scottish Cup in 2005 but Ayr haven't been to Paisley since the year before. They are quite good at pulling off cup shocks - as Caley Thistle, Hearts and Hibs have all found out this year, and we will have to be on our guard for this one.
It'll be interesting to see what changes there are to the Saints side after Saturday's defeat to Hibs. Craig Samson had a howler but had been good up to that point so deserves to keep his place - although needs to realise that hoofing the ball forward is OK at times. It's perhaps time for Graham Carey to be handed a start after a decent showing as a sub, with the disappointing Steven Thomson or Kenny McLean the most likely candidates to take over. Nigel Hasselbaink was a bit less impressive and will probably be riding pine once again.
Samson is one of two former Ayr players in our side, the other being Gary Teale. Surprisingly, this will be the first time he's faced his old club in a competitive match since he left 10 years ago as he's spent all that time down south. It could be an emotional time for him, but hopefully he'll put that behind him by putting in a decent display. I thought he and David van Zanten did well on Saturday and hopefully the pair can keep that up as Vanzy continues to keep David Barron out of the side. Hugh Murray is apparently closing in on a return but doesn't have a hope of playing tomorrow night, while Aaron Mooy and Darren McGregor are still out for the foreseeable future.
Life isn't dull as an Ayr United fan because each season seems to bring something new. They've spent the last few years bouncing between the first and second divisions and are back in the first this season after winning promotion through the play-offs last term. In my view Brian Reid has done a good job since he took over, although a few Ayr fans have grumbled when things haven't been going well. Despite that, he seems to be highly rated in the game and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him moving onwards and upwards in the next few years - possibly even to the vacant St Johnstone job.
Tomorrow night we don't need to worry about one of our former players coming back to haunt us - we need to worry about four! Mark Roberts had a short spell at Love Street nearly a decade ago and seems to have been banging in goals in the lower leagues ever since, often scoring in their cup upsets too. Eddie Malone and Alex Burke were both with us during our early seasons in the SPL but didn't feature a great deal and may feel they have a point to prove. That thought is probably an understatement when it comes to the fourth member of the ex Buddies quartet. It's fair to say Gareth Wardlaw wasn't best pleased when we let him go last season, having scored the goal that kept us up and been told he'd get a new contract a few months earlier. He'll be relishing the chance to get one over Lennon and co tomorrow and putting money on him to score could prove to be some shrewd business.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Ayr also have a few former Morton players who would no doubt like to get it up us. Keeper Kevin Cuthbert seems to have been about for ages but is still only in his 20s, while versatile defender Chris Smith will also be looking to shut us out, with midfielders Alan Trouten and Dean Keenan looking to cause damage at the other end. Other familiar names due to their time kicking about the SFL are defender John Robertson and midfielder Michael McGowan, who had an unsuccessful trial spell with us last season.